Remnant of Hunters
by brassleader
Summary: Team RWBY have gone their separate ways in the now plague ridden Remnant. Each leaving the safety of Vale to try and protect what little could remain in the other kingdoms. With the Hunt so recently finished, few understand what really happened to the kingdom of Vale and has begun in the other three Kingdoms. A world slowly dying from infection as others try to stave off the end.
1. A New Remnant

**Hey everyone, I'm back in action. Figure I'd start off the new year with releasing this. For those of you returning from my last piece, welcome back and thanks for joining. For those of you new around here, I hope you enjoy the story. I've made this as new reader friendly as possible, so people don't have to go back and read the prequel to this. This series will mostly follow the separated members of Team RWBY as they travel Remnant after the event of the Hunt. Each chapter will only focus on one or two characters. Usually you'll get two to three chapters in a row with the same charterer so that the story can actually make some progress. That won't happen with this chapter since I'm using it as a re-introduction into the series and to catch up anyone who doesn't want to read Hunter to Huntsman.  
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 **With the basics of the way, let's enjoy the show.  
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 **Beta Reader: Poliamida**

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A small town sat in the middle of a heavily cleared forest. Dying stumps sat in the distance. So far out from the town no one bothered too clear them. A dirt road ran through the center of the town and back into the forest. The sun had recently set with its soft glow fading over the horizon. Darkens falling in the forest and the town due to the shadows being cast by the trees. Even the moon couldn't illuminate the night with a cover of clouds in the sky. The last carriage for the day came out of the forest. It's wheels shaking as it came down the uneven dirt path. Wheat fields that were a few feet off of the road appeared ready for harvest.

The carriage pulled up in front of the towns inn and the driver stepped off onto the ground. Walking over to the passenger door he pulled it open. Three passengers stepped out on to the road and made their way to the inn. Each one with a backpack strapped to themselves and a bag in hand. As they walked through the entrance, the driver looked inside to see a passenger still asleep.

"Hey, Stranger, we made it to Greenacres. Unless you want to help store the carriage and put the horses away, it's best you head inside." The man said as the last passenger began weakly opening their eyes.

After a moment, the passenger stepped out of the carriage and walked tiredly towards the inn. A package was strapped to her back and wrapped in cloth to protect it. They even had an oversized survival pack that reached from their back over their head. The carriage was pulled around the back of the inn, leaving the last passenger by themselves.

Inside the inn, travelers were drinking and exchanging stories about their trips. People going about their night before heading to bed. The stranger pulled up a stool at the bar and set their backpack on the ground. A red hood covered their head, shielding them from any prying eyes. It only took a moment for the bartender to make her way down to the customer.

"What I can I get you?" The bartender asked.

"I'll have your tallest glass of milk." The girl asked.

A silence ran across the entire ground floor as people turned their heads towards the newcomer. Cards were set down and games put on hold as a single laugh came from a table. At that moment, the entire inn burst into laughter. Fists began pounding onto tabletops as some patrons couldn't contain themselves. Some could even be seen with tears in their eyes from how hard they were laughing. Eventually the laughter died down to a occasional chuckle as people remembered the event. The bartender managed to suppress her laughter and look at the girl again.

"Not from around these parts I take it." She stated the question as a fact.

"No, actually. I've been traveling around for a few weeks, but my supplies started to run low. I figured a town like this could help me restock before taking off again." She brought her hood down far enough to hide the top of her face.

"Sorry about the laughter, but we don't get to many city folk coming out this far. You're probably the first this town has seen in years. More will start showing up after the shit show in Vale though. Most people out here are already doubtful of the Council and tend to be a hell of a lot more welcoming of others trying to etch out an existence in the world." The bartender pulled out a glass and began wiping it down with a rag.

"More business and growth for surrounding towns then. Everything in Vale started to go downhill pretty quick once it became apparent living space had become an issue. To many residential areas lost and people displaced. With nowhere to go and a vast number of jobs no longer being done, people just couldn't afford to live in the city." The girl adjusted her hood to look back at the server.

"You a refugee then? Looking to start up a new life outside the government's reach. It's not so bad out here. No one steals or fights simply due to it attracting the Grimm. Even got a few town guards for when some strays find this place. So, what can I get you?"

"Do you actually not have any milk." The girl gave a small pout as the bartended slowly began to waiver.

"We have it, but it's usually only taken by children. Aren't you a bit old to still be drinking milk?"

"I am a growing woman and won't risk my growth being stunted due to poor nutrition."

"Let me get that for you then. I can give a few suggestions for where to restock afterwards if you're interested." Hoping the bar, she made her way to the back door and tapped the man standing by it on the shoulder. Giving a nod, the man walked behind the guard while keeping an eye on the patrons.

The girl kicked her legs back and forth while sitting when someone grabbed her by the shoulder. Turning around she saw a woman with two men at her side. Each had a blade on their waist and some minor armor covering them.

"It's rare to see people from the city venture this far out here. Only make me wonder why you would stop in this town?" She asked as the other two encircled the girl.

"Just stopping to pick up some supplies."

"Then you won't mind if we check your bags then." One of the guards asked.

"Sure, just be careful with it. Some of the stuff in there is fragile." She pulled her backpack off and handed it to the guards.

They opened the pack to find very mundane items within it. A small tent was tightly folded into the pack and wrapped around the metal stakes that would hold it down. Some basic firestarters and a sleeping bag could be seen pressing the tent against the edges of the bag. Everything seemed to be normal if not a little underprepared for life outside the kingdom. It seemed more useful as camping supplies for a small excursion than walking the continent. The only thing out of place was a old metal rod that protruded from the pack. It had an arm extending in a 'L' shape with a small ring at the end to attach something to it.

"Everything seems fine. Now if you could show us that thing strapped to your back." The guard asked as she set the backpack aside.

"I'm going to need you to not freak out when you take her, okay?" The girl asked as she pulled the wrapped object off her back.

One of the guards grabbed the wrapped object, but the moment it left the girl's hand, the guard was pulled to the ground with the object. A thud echoed through the hall as the guard tried to get the object off their arm. The other two guards rushed over and began trying to lift object off their friend. The object would only shift beneath the cloth, but couldn't be lifted. In the end, the girl got off her seat and pulled the object off the guard.

"What the hell do you have in that thing?" The woman asked as the others stood up.

"She is a bit heavier now due to the modifications, but she shouldn't be that heavy." Taking the object in hand, she placed it back on her back.

Before they could continue a man ran into the inn with panic across his face. "Grimm are coming!"

At the mention of Grimm, every patron in the bar reached for their weapon. Some pulling a revolver off their waist and others taking the riffles off their backs. Ammunition was loaded and extra clips were strapped on as they all began preparing for the incursion. Those without weapons were quickly armed by those who had weapons to spare. Children from the village were quickly ushered behind the bar and down into a cellar. People rushed out of the inn to join the townsfolk in the defense of the community.

"Why aren't you in the cellar with the others, kid?" The bartender asked as she grabbed a shotgun from behind the counter.

"I can't stay here while all of you are fighting and my names not kid, it's Ruby." The girl said as she grabbed her back pack and walked out the front door of the inn.

Ruby had a clear view towards the outskirts of the town thanks to the road that ran through it. People had taken up position with their guns pointed into the darkness. Each person waiting for the red glow of a Grimm's eyes. Taking off her backpack, she grabbed the metal rod and stabbed it into the ground. She grabbed a lantern from her pack and hanged it at the end of the metal poll. Opening the glass window, she struck a match and lit the candle inside. A soft blue flame formed atop the wick and continued to burn once the window was closed. Running her hand over the wrapped item on her back, it began to shift as it broke free of it bonds.

The weapon was nearly double the height of the girl. Most of it seemed to be a dark red with black accents. She started walking down the road towards the edge of town. Each step she took picked up speed quicker and quicker until she was in a full sprint. The town around her began to turn into a blur when she ran past the recently formed garrison. People could only see a red shape blow past them and disappear into the darkness.

Ruby came to a stop at the edge of the forest when she saw the pale white eyes shifting in the woods. The top of her weapon unfurled into a scythe as she gave it a quick practice twirl. The darkened blade giving off a shimmer as it caught some of the moonlight. A cloud passed overhead blanketing the country side in darkness as a muzzle flash was seen in the distance. The townsfolk had opened fire on whatever had begun approaching them. The moment Ruby turned her head to look towards the sound, a wolf like beast leaped out from the forest and swung at her.

The claws cutting into her side before a quick spin of her weapon caught the beast's arm. Ruby's blade dug into its fur and flesh, but came to a stop at the bone. Using its other arm, the beast managed to push Ruby away. As soon as some distance was created between them, Ruby pointed the end of her weapon behind herself. She brought her hand onto a metal lever and chambered a round into the riffle. Running towards the beast as it did the same. Both were poised to strike when Ruby pulled the trigger and vanished as her weapon fired. The beast brought its claws down on where the red cloaked girl should have been to no effect. Its claws cut through the air as the scythe hooked around its chest. With the blade digging into the beast's chest, Ruby fired another round forcing the blade to cleave through the muscle and bone. Blood spilled onto the forest floor as the two halves fell to the ground.

Even with one of the beasts dead, three more easily took its place. Ruby spun her weapon and managed to catch two beasts in the attack. She managed to stagger the two and force them back with a rush of quick flourishes. While she fought off the three encircling beasts, 5 more broke from the forest and began heading towards the town. She could already see the Grimm being fought back, but the addition of beasts could tip the scale in the Grimm's favor. Ruby disengaged from the three she was fighting and opened fire on the pack charging at the town. She unloaded one round into each of the beasts and immediately garnered their attention. The pack quickly circling around while Ruby rushed back towards her original opponents.

Her blade sparked against the one of the beast's steel like claws as they exchanged blows. Ruby would leap out of the way of one attack to be hit in the back by someone else. Hunting in packs offered a huge advantage to them in terms of defensive and offensive plans. Plans may be too complex of a concept for the beasts, but survival instincts easily made up for their lack of intelligence. Each time she began to lay into one of them, another would step in. Ruby was about to reload her empty magazine when something clamped down on her right arm. Turning her head, Ruby could see the lycan trying to tear into her. Bringing her weapon down into the beast's back, while effective, caused it to clamp down even harder in its death throes.

Before she could work on severing the monster's head another on latched onto her leg. This one tried to bring her down, but Ruby managed to keep herself up by pinning the second beat the ground with her weapon. Even if it couldn't move, it continued to try to eat her leg. She was about to kill the monster gnawing on her leg when she heard the thunderous steps of the pack she agitated. They were mid-leap when Ruby dropped her weapon and reached for something inside her cloak. Ruby threw the object into the air as she was tackled to the ground. The beasts clawed their way through her aura to get at her flesh. With one last slam of a beast's fist, her aura shattered letting the jaws clinging to her dig into her skin. Their feast didn't last for long though as the cylinder fell back towards the ground and exploded only a few feet above the beasts covering Ruby.

The entire town froze as the night turned to day in a flash of light. It was like the sun had abruptly risen in the distance as the fireball exploded. The Grimm were bathed in light exposing any that had been lurking forward to breach the towns defensive barrier. Even after the explosion had ended, the flames in the distance continued to burn. Those with melee weapons stayed close to the gunners to keep them safe from anything that got close. The red eyed creatures were throwing themselves at the defenses and through sheer number they were getting closer to penetrating the defenses.

A howl of pain could be heard rushing across their fields. Pain clearly being heard in their voice as a flaming dart shot out of the inferno. The flaming object swept through the wave of Grimm eviscerating everything before it. A path of weaving flames trailed behind the destruction left in its wake. The flames began to die off as the burning person pressed something to their arm. With a wave of her weapon, the flames on her died leaving behind a charred cape and burnt clothing. While most of the outfit had held up, some of it's already damaged components like the sleeves had large holes burnt into them.

As a Beowolf was about to land its claw into on one of the towns folk, a bullet snapped through its head. Ruby kept her back to the beasts as she fired towards the town at the Grimm. She thinned the horde at the town's doorstep while leaping through the battlefield. Grimm trying to swarm her to little effect as she danced around the slower targets.

"With the big fry out of the way, I can actually enjoy this." Ruby's scythe erupted in a shower of sparks as the blade segmented. Each piece shifting slightly from its original frame, giving it a serrated appearance.

She spun the weapon above her head with the blades slowly pulling further and further apart. Some steel like thread housed within the blades kept each piece from flying off into the distance. After the fifth pass, Ruby brought her weapon down in a sweeping motion. The blades easily cutting through the Grimm with the momentum they had built up. Limbs and entire torsos being cut down like rows of wheat. Her staff providing a already impressive range was pushed even further thanks to the threaded blades that made up her scythe.

When the dust settled all that remained was the red cloaked reaper and the pieces of her prey scattered around her. Her appearance was silhouetted by the flames that still burned in the distance. The Grimm had already begun to dissolve into a black mist. Even the blood of the Grimm was burning away into nothingness. Smoke rolling off of Ruby as she walked back to the village.

A few people were sat on the ground in exhaustion from the fight. Some even using their own weapons to prop themselves up. Injuries were few and far in between, but the defense of the town didn't come at no cost. Bodies that were clawed to pieces were given some dignity with a cloth cover. Identification would typically be housed on the dead's scroll, but some still used metal tags due to the technology being out of reach. Pyres would need to be built and stones carved, but nothing could be done in the middle of the night.

The bodies were quickly stored in a building and the town returned to the inn. Drinks were readily served as the people celebrated their defense of the town. Strangers telling tales to one another and becoming fast friends. Merchants exchanging information about the surrounding towns and talking about future opportunities. Even the children were running around the ground floor and happily interacting with the town's defenders. The sight was jarring to say the least for Ruby.

What had moments ago been a fight for survival was quickly replaced with festivities. In Vale they would be mourning the loss of life and be comforting one another. Funerals would immediately be planned and the dead would be buried. From what she could see it was clear that certain luxuries had to be cut out to aid in surviving outside the Cities and their protective walls. Mass mourning for the departed would only serve as a beacon for the creatures of Grimm to hone in on. Without a proper barrier or team of Huntsman in the area, it would only lead to more death.

Upon her entrance the bar erupted in cheer. Glasses being raised in honor of the little reaper that defended their town. "If it's not the huntress of the hour." One of the patrons yelled in joy.

"You certainly saved our asses today miss." A man said as a man quickly slapped him upside his head.

"Watch your language, you damn prick. You're in the presence of a lady." The table broke out in laughter as they began punching each other in the shoulder.

Ruby was about to respond when someone grabbed her by the shoulder and led her over to the bar. The town guard pulled her over to their table and seated her. Each one showing off their weapons and the new dings in their armor. "Sorry about earlier mam."

"If we knew you were a Huntress we wouldn't had given you the 5th degree back when we saw ya," another added to the apology.

"It's fine, I'm just happy the children are all okay," Ruby said while watching the kids run around the inn.

"Care to join us in a celebratory drink?" One of the guards offered Ruby a glass.

"Drinks don't really do anything to me anymore. Besides, wouldn't want to have to take you in for serving alcohol to a minor," Ruby jokes.

"Kingdom laws never counted for much out here. As long as the people don't do anything to make surviving out here any more difficult than it needs to be, then we tend to only help arbitrate conflicts."

"When I said drinks don't do anything, I meant it literally. I'm really resistant to poisons and alcohol falls into that category." Ruby pushed the glass away.

"That's a shame. Alcohol works a lot like medicine when applied at the correct dosage. Then again, it is just as common that people turn it into a crutch. Taking something that they don't need to survive. That's enough talk from an old guard from the boonies. Go talk to Maple and she'll make sure you're treated right in this town. No one messes with the one who supplies the booze." The man gave Ruby a push towards the bar as he went back to chatting.

"You come back for that glass of milk, little miss hero." The bartender said, pulling out a glass filled with milk.

"Can you point out a woman named Maple? The guards told me that she could help me get everything I need before heading out," Ruby asked.

"You're looking at her. They probably want me to give you room, board, and advice on where to shop. Luckily, I was already going to do that since we can't afford to pay you for your services. We're not exactly the richest village, but I'm sure some vendors would be more than happy to give you a discount since you won't receive a full commission."

"You don't have to do that. I received plenty of money before leaving Vale, so cash shouldn't be an issue for me. It would feel wrong to take so much from all of you when all I only did what was right." Ruby brought her hands up to dismiss the very idea.

"I get that some of you have the whole 'we do it because we're the only ones who can' shtick, but you can't live off of nothing. The least you can do is sleep on the idea." Maple pushed the glass towards Ruby. "Sorry about calling you a kid earlier. I heard that Huntsman and Huntresses usually look young, but I never thought you could be an Academy graduate."

"That's even more reason for you all to not pay me." Ruby began twiddling her thumbs. "I didn't exactly graduate. I'm a Beacon dropout since I didn't finish my education." Ruby looked down at her glass in embarrassment over the fact.

"There ain't no shame in that. We all have our own circumstances in life and you seem to be doing just fine. Don't tell the guards I said this, but you could probably beat all of them in a fight." Maple said, getting Ruby to laugh. "Now that's what I wanted to see. There's no reason to get so worked up over something like that when your skill speaks for itself. Any plans for your future then since you aren't going to be a Huntress?"

"I plan on taking up the job one of my teachers had. He always said it was a thankless job that someone has to do, so I figured I might as well start. Maybe find some people who I can help learn the craft like what Dunstan did for me."

"Sounds exciting. What did your teacher do before, well, he taught?"

"He was a Hunter, not the kind that goes after animals, but a person who hunts monsters."

"You mean like the Grimm."

"Not exactly. He would fight Grimm if he came across some, but he specialized in hunting plague ridden beasts. Beings that had mutated due to a very infectious virus and would do anything to infect others. Some of them even look like Grimm after their left alone for long enough, but they have different eyes."

"Sounds like a bad horror flick to me, but stranger things have happened around Remnant. So, is that why you came here?"

"I was tracking a pack of Scourge Beasts. They're a lot like Beowolves, except tougher, more vicious, and have a resistance to most firearms. Unless you're packing a cannon, you'll need to get up close and personal with them. Even then you'd have to worry about infection from their blood. They can even act as beacons for the Grimm thanks to them giving off a much anger and other emotions."

"I know I'll sleep better at night, knowing that there is someone like you out there keeping the beasts at bay. The world needs heroes now more than ever with communications down. Distress beacons can't contact anyone and the Huntsman won't come running." Maple said, as Ruby finished her glass of milk.

"We're not heroes. Just people with a job that has to be done. It's not glorious, it's bloody, dirty, and can't be done by anyone who wants to be called a hero. With Dunstan gone, someone has to fill his shoes. Might as well be me after everything I learned from him." Ruby got up from her seat and pushed her stool back underneath the counter. "If anything comes up, you can find me camping by the town entrance." Ruby grabbed her backpack and threw it on.

Ruby turned around to walk out when Maple shouted, "Think fast." Ruby jumped forward and spun around quickly to find a ring with a key on it flying at her. Raising her hand, Ruby caught the keys. "Your room number is 206. Remember to return those keys before you take off."

Ruby gave a soft smile and walked up the stair case. Reaching her room, Ruby unlocked the door and walked into the small room. A lone bed sat next to the window giving her a view of the town. The only decorative furniture she saw was a small dresser with a mirror sat atop it. Too tired to bother with anything at the moment Ruby took her pack off and set her weapons on the floor. She couldn't even remember the last time she bothered to dawn sleep wear. Getting dressed, she kept a single holster strapped to her side and fell onto the bed letting sleep overtake her.

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Ruby waked up to the comforting sight of a roof over her head and the sound of people working outside. The bed beneath her almost felt too soft after having spent three weeks roughing it. Her hand still instinctively clutched at the pistol that remained strapped to her side, even during her rests. Sitting up, Ruby stretched her arms and looked out the window. Preparations for a mass funeral were already underway even with the sun just peaking over the horizon. Wagons loaded with the dead were being pulled out towards a mostly empty field. Funeral pyres were already under construction and would likely be completed before noon.

Even death seemed to have lost its sting after causing, seeing, and experiencing so much of it. Ruby pulled herself out of bed and started her daily routine. Walking over to a nearby bucket of water Ruby dunked her head and began running her hands through the tangled strands. Dirt washing out of her hair with each stroke. Ruby grabbed a rag that was hanging on the edge of the bucket and started wiping herself down. Basic hygiene was something of a rarity that Ruby could only enjoy when she came across a river. Ruby let out a sigh of relief as she felt the layers of dirt being removed. She tried rubbing her wrists and hands to get more of the dirt off, only to find the beginning of a tan. Pulling her sleeve up further it became apparent that her pale skin had a clear dividing line just above her wrists.

Walking towards the mirror, Ruby could finally get a clear view on how much had changed after a few weeks outside of the kingdom. No new scars formed on her due to the unique physic that came with being bound to the dream, but some natural growth had started to occur. Her once shoulder length hair had started encroaching on her back. She had noticed how her hair started to pass by her eyes during a fight and with a mirror now in front of her, Ruby could see just how frayed the ends had become. Even her eyes appeared different. They still retained their silver color, but seemed to have lost their soft gaze. Ruby had seen the same eyes from some of her professors back at Beacon. The sight may have proved startling if Ruby hadn't realized the change before starting her journey. Her friends and sister had all pointed it out in one way or another during Vale's recovery. Her sister, Yang, joked about it being the end of the era of puppy dog eyes. Funnily enough, she wasn't wrong about the end of an era. Since the plague had suddenly exploded in each kingdom and cut them off from one another, it could no longer be considered the era of peace.

After 80 years of peace the four kingdoms were divided and keeping each other at a distance for fear of which one would be the first to strike. The last thing anyone saw being transmitted from Vale was Atlas robots opening fire on civilians. Vacuo and Mistral saw an opportunity and launched an attack on Atlas. All that was known to the world was that by the end of the month, Atlas continued to stand and no kingdom retained an army sizable enough to make an attempt on any other kingdom. Even two on one, Atlas' frozen lands, mountains, and fortifications managed to outlast their invaders. Remnant's shortest war that crippled three out of the four kingdoms militaries. How much of each kingdom was still around after their armies left was questionable though thanks to the plague's sudden appearance and growth.

Ruby finished washing and grabbed her cloak. Pulling the red hood over her head, she made her way down the stairs into the inn's bar. The bar was mostly empty save for a few patrons who were sleeping at their tables. Maple was behind the bar cleaning glasses when Ruby walked over.

"Did you sleep well?" Maple asked.

"I slept fine. Can you show me around town or do you have to stay here?" Ruby motioned around the bar and towards the passed-out patrons.

"I can leave. Bar doesn't open up till noon and Onyx can make sure no one tries to get at the alcohol." Maple placed her glass on the counter and took a deep breath. "Onyx, I'm heading out. Keep an eye on the bar."

Maple jumped the counter and took Ruby by the arm, guiding her out of the inn and into the town. Ruby let herself be dragged around by the excited barkeep. The town square contained a well and a few store fronts from the merchants passing through town. Most selling goods that couldn't be produced in a small town. Ammunition wasn't a problem for Ruby as long as she could get to the Hunters Dream to restock and the lantern she installed outside the inn provided the perfect entrance. Food was something else altogether. Though death would bring back to a normal healthy state of being, it couldn't supplement the sensation of a full belly or certain experiences.

Smoked and dried goods had proven to be some of Ruby's best friends after she realized that rations tended to taste like dirt. The only useful thing she managed to scrap from them tended to be the small supply of Dust meant to cook the 'meals'. Foraging for food turned out to be easy thanks to Ruby's ability to easily process any poison and nullify it. She even figured that raw meat likely wouldn't be a problem due to what ran through her blood, but there were some barriers she didn't want to cross just yet when alternatives were available.

Maple led Ruby to each of the shops and true to word, each one was incredibly thankful for her assistance last night. They offered her free goods and discounts which Ruby readily declined. The trip went on like that for about an hour when a bell began to toll. Shops were quickly closed and merchant stalls were emptied as people moved towards the town bell.

When they arrived, a crowd had formed with what she assumed was the mayor standing on a podium. "We have gathered here to remember those that gave their lives in the defense of our town. Without their sacrifice, many of us wouldn't be standing here today. Though they are no longer with us, they will always be remembered." The mayor raised his arm with a chisel in his hand. "Their names will be added to the town monument and their ashes scattered to the winds."

The town was filled with applause for the speech as they all headed towards the field where the pyres had been constructed. Without even needing to look Ruby could smell the death that lingered within the wooden structures. Her senses easily picking up on the scent and putting her on edge. Taking a few breaths to calm down she found herself next to Maple as a torch was thrown into the tower.

Flames quickly worked their way up the structure. Smoke ran out of the opening at the top and carried the black fumes further up into the sky. People were dancing in the daylight as the departed rose above Remnant. Ruby found the fires mesmerizing to watch as they danced over the wood. Time seemed to become irrelevant to Ruby until someone accidently bumped her with their shoulder.

The festivities were in full swing with people dancing around the pyres. Those that were tired sat on the edge of the field chatting idling with one another. Most talking about their day or those to come with winter a few weeks away. Though one conversation caught Ruby's attention. Two men drinking beer from their mugs chatted about a few missing people.

"Have you seen the Oaks?"

"Last I heard they were hauling some Grimm that wouldn't dissolve out into the forest. Couldn't just leave the thing by the road so some guards asked them to chuck it."

"Wonder how far they went out. I know people don't want to attract any dangerous wildlife, but a ten-minute walk out should have been fine." The man said.

"Who helped haul it anyways?"

"Probably their son and daughter, since Grey is busy with the harvest."

"We'll just have to enjoy their share of the festivities then." The two men walked off with mugs in hand.

Ruby could feel her hand clenching at the thought of what she just heard. A minimum of two infected not counting who killed the beast originally and who was around when it happened. People who walked over the spilt blood could have touched their boots and then anything else. Food, water, or worst case the town well. People were walking around celebrating their survival and interacting with one another. The perfect situation to spread the infection and the next day all the travelers and merchants would head out to the next village on their route. Ruby could feel her heart beat pounding with each pulse causing her head to throb. No one was armed at the festival besides the few town guards. It wouldn't take long to kill them all. The first few wouldn't even realize they were killed if she struck fast enough. Everywhere she looked, Ruby saw the masses covered in red with fear frozen upon their faces. The plague didn't distinguish between young or old, it consumed all with and left people to fates worse than death. Ruby's hand was reaching for her weapon when a sudden touch on her shoulder, broke her free of her thoughts.

"You alright, Ruby?" Maple asked.

"I'm fine, just thinking about something." Ruby eased her hands back to her side.

"Well then," Maple extended a hand to Ruby, "would you like a dance, fair lady?"

Ruby used a hand to suppress a laugh before using her other to grab Maple's. "I would be delighted."

They still had options, Ruby thought. First thing first would be separating the noninfected from the infected. Stop it from spreading and then presenting the two horrible options for the infected. Either be executed or take a chance with a transfusion where if you survive you're drafted into the equivalent of an undead cult. She couldn't take the chance of leaving them in the village where they could accidently infect others.

Ruby led Maple around the pyre as they danced with the town. Ruby could enjoy this moment for a little longer and then an announcement could be made. If everyone remained calm and followed her instruction, no one who wouldn't have to die would. Ruby could feel her mood fall with the understanding that the likelihood of everyone complying would be near zero. Putting a smile on, Ruby continued to dance and try to enjoy herself for however long she could.

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 **Well, that feels like an appropriate note to leave off on. This chapter should mostly serve as a nice introduction to everyone. I hope that this was worth the wait for all of you. On a side note, you can expect the next chapter to be released in 2 weeks. That means Jan. 15th is when you can expect a new chapter.  
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	2. Road Trippin'

**I'm hoping that everyone enjoyed the last chapter and will have fun reading this one. I made the outline for most of this story a few months ago after I finished up HtH. That means that I had the designs for every kingdom done ages ago and most aren't in line with what people would refer to as cannon now. I for one, don't really care because I love my interpretations of the other three kingdoms. Writing for Atlas and Vacou were quite enjoyable when I was planning this series out. For how this series will work, we'll get about 2-4 chapters with a character from here on out. Typically ending their run on either a revelation or achieving a goal of some kind. From there we jump to another character for a few chapters. This continues until we get back to Ruby to start the cycle over again. Good news is that each arc will likely be 3-4 chapters with a decent ending to top them off. Bad news is that it could take a few chapters to get back to a certain character you particularly** **enjoyed reading about.  
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 **Now that you are all caught up, let's go see how a certain pair are fairing without their illustrious leader around.**

 **Beta reader: Poliamida**

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An Atlas ship flew high in the sky over the ocean. The white ship was nearly impossible to see from below as it skirted under the clouds. The craft was on the smaller side when it came to transports, but it could have easily fitted a small team of 4 and the pilot. Even the Grimm that patrolled the skies didn't seem interested in the lone ship. Though it was likely due to how fast it was zipping across the sky. Very few Grimm could even hope to keep up with the ship and even less would have a means of engaging it.

Lilac eyes stared out of the viewing window and took in the sight of the vast sea. As far as her eyes could see, there was nothing but water in every direction. Blonde hair trailed down all the way to the base of her back. A pair of golden metallic bracelets hung off of her wrists and wore an open black jacket over her top. Stepping back from the window, the blonde woman walked up to the cockpit.

The door opened upon her approach and revealed a nearly identical sight from her window. The pilot was a shorter woman with white hair and a scar over her left eye. The scared tissue was a vertical line that started under her eye and reached a bit above her eyebrow. She sported an off-center pony tail that was bound by a small tiara. She was fully focused on piloting the craft and didn't try to acknowledge her passenger's intrusion.

"Weiss, how much further?" The blonde whined as she threw her arms over Weiss.

"I will turn this plane around, Yang!" Weiss yelled at the brute as she tightened her grip on the wheel.

"We both know you don't have the fuel to make it back to Vale. Now where's our next stop? I doubt we'll make it to Atlas without a pit stop." Yang bumped her fist against the metal frame.

"For your information this is one of Atlas' newest models in terms of small transports. We could fly between two kingdoms easily before needing to refuel. Built for squads and VIPs to cross borders undetected. With the CCT down, Atlas won't even be able to see us unless we cross one of their military installations," Weiss said with confidence.

"So which city are we setting this girl down in?" Yang could see the silhouette of land coming into view across the horizon.

"We're not landing anywhere near a city or settlement. Atlas has one of the most advanced and paranoid militaries on the planet, so we'll be setting down away from anything that could ID this ship. Not to mention the fact that this is stolen property being commandeered by two students. I doubt they'd be to accepting of the matter."

"It can't be that bad. From what Blake told me, your father's company basically owns half the kingdom and supplies the military with nearly all of its ammunition." Yang mentioned, causing Weiss to flinch.

"Which is precisely why we can't risk being ID'd. They'd take me back to him and you'd be interrogated then thrown in a cell for the rest of your life."

"Didn't know Atlas was such a downer of a place to be. Thought all that tech would have people living the luxurious life."

"Citizens are already forced to have identifications tags somewhere on their person for security droids to remotely scan. Even then, it isn't uncommon for outspoken citizens to have a 'malfunction' in their tags and be 'accidently' killed by security robots. The concept of citizen elected council members is merely to appease the rest of the other kingdoms views. You can't live a free life in Atlas when your every choice and conversation is tracked." Weiss said with venom in her words to show displeasure with the kingdom and the unsavory laws in place to keep the populace under council control.

"If that's the case why are we heading to the same continent they control? Shouldn't we go to a place with less fearful people in power that have access to a disposable army?"

"We're going there because Atlas was just as quick to throw away settlements and cities that no longer prove to be useful to them. It's much easier to press a button to pull the automated defenses away than it is to order people to abandon their posts. Swaths of villages across the continent vanish with the flip of a switch and no one inside the kingdom cares."

"Not really inspiring faith in your home kingdom there Wiess."

"Which is why we are going to take these abandoned settlements and start building on the other end of the continent. Away from the kingdom's prying eyes. Places that were abandoned during the kingdoms infancy and serve as little more than markers across the tundra."

"Is that why we've been flying around for so long? You were circling the entire continent," Yang said in annoyance.

"Unlike you, I rather not be shot out of the sky. We are taking the safest route available without any guidance from the CCT. You should feel lucky that I know how to operate these things." Weiss smiled while Yang felt the sudden urge to pester the heiress.

As Yang was about to shake Weiss' seat, a red light began flashing on the overhead console. "Is that supposed to be blinking?"

"Give me a second." Weiss reached under her seat and pulled out a large book. The cover was plain with only the title stenciled onto the cover. Atlesian Hawk T206, was the title of the book Weiss was franticly scanning through.

"You've been using a book to help pilot this thing!" Yang yelled in anger as she quickly jumped into the copilot seat and strapped herself in.

"I just needed it to know how to start the ship up and which switch controlled the landing gear. It's not my fault I was taught with a civilian model Bullhead. Now be quite so I can focus on finding the cheat sheet for this consol." Weiss began fanning through the pages until she came across a picture of the controls. After scanning the page for information, Wiess threw the book behind herself and began working the consol.

Yang could feel panic setting in as Weiss flipped switches and turned knobs on the complex console before her. Even after Weiss stopped fiddling with the console the orange light continued to blink. "Is everything alright?"

"Yep, everything is fine." Weiss unbuckled herself and walked over to a cabinet on the wall. The plane tilted slightly forward and began it's very slow decent. Opening the cabinet revealed a backpack of some kind with a harness attached to it.

Weiss was attaching the pack to herself when Yang began unbuckling herself from the seat. "No you don't Ice Queen." Yang got out of her seat as Weiss walked out of the cockpit.

When Yang opened the door, she saw Weiss near the back ramp of the transport. "Here, take this." Weiss grabbed their survival pack with both hands and threw it at Yang. The moment the blonde caught it, she nearly toppled over due to the unexpected weight of the pack.

"What did you pack in here? I swear, if this bag is full of clothes I am going to use them as fuel for the fire."

"It's everything we need to survive for a month in Atlas. Besides, we aren't even crashing yet."

"You say that, but your actions aren't exactly filling me with confidence."

"We are just a tad low on fuel, so I put us on a slow decent. We should be able to sustain a soft glide for a few more minutes before we lose all thrust. This craft is going to veer right and should crash towards the east coast, so we are going to have to leave soon."

"Can't we just land this thing and walk from there?"

"If we had more fuel, then yes. Right now, it would be best to ditch the highly valuable and stolen military vehicle. With the snowstorms in Atlas, our trail will be gone within a day. Now get over here so I can strap you up to this." Weiss patted the extra harness that hanged off of her front.

"Wow, you are way shorter than I remember." Yang said as she brought her hand atop Weiss head. "Did you shrink while I wasn't looking?"

"I can't wear heels while trekking through the snow you brute. I had to get some boots, pants, and this stupid jacket."

Yang pulled the hand back and found it barely reaching the bridge of her nose. "I think you're actually shorter than Ruby without those stilts of yours. Ruby is going to love hearing about this when we see each other again. You're barely five foot one with those boots on."

"I can just jump out here and leave you, you know?" Weiss threatened Yang.

"You wouldn't leave me. I know you would be devastated once Ruby found out I didn't survive." Yang did her best imitation of Ruby's puppy dog eyes.

"Doesn't really work when you're a towering oaf," Weiss chided the blonde.

Yang raised her hands to show she didn't mean any hostilities Weiss was picking up on. "Okay, fine. This is just going to be a bit awkward with the setup we have. I don't remember seeing to many videos of paired jumpers with the main being so much shorter than the partner."

"Either you get in this harness or I leave you here." Weiss' hand inched towards the button that controlled the ship's rear ramp.

"Alright, alright," Yang raised her arms in defeat and walked towards Weiss.

Weiss quickly helped Yang get prepared for the tandem jump. With her teammate strapped in and ready to go Weiss tried to stand up along with Yang, only to realize her feet could no longer touch the ground. Even trying to get the tips of her boots to touch the floor proved impossible due the several inches of height that Yang had over her. She struggled for a minute on Yang's back to only receive laughter from her teammate.

"We will never speak of this again. Now press that button and let's get out of here." Weiss pointed to the red button that was installed on the wall.

Yang bent forward slightly to take Weiss even further from the ground and pressed the button. With a hiss, the back of the plane began to open and snow rushed into the space. The cold gusts nipping at their faces forcing the both girls to pull their hoods up. Taking a breath to calm down, Yang walked out the back and let gravity take hold. The fall wasn't as fun as Yang had initially anticipated once she realized that there was nothing but white snow stretching out in every direction. If it wasn't for the fact that wind was rushing past her face, she would have thought they weren't even moving.

Yang held the heavy pack in her arms as they continued to fall. Tightening her grip on the object when Weiss yelled something and tapped her on the shoulder. Before Yang could even respond, they were suddenly yanked back as the chute opened and quickly slowed their decent. With their decent slowed, Yang could actually hear Weiss.

"Don't you dare let go of our supplies Yang."

"I wasn't going to drop it. Why couldn't you just use glyph to get us to the ground? I'm not complaining, but this is a bit slower than I'm used to."

"We can't waste aura to cushion our landing with the weather this cold. It's more valuable as a way to maintain our body temperature. I also couldn't risk you damaging our supplies with the way you typically land. I still remember what Ruby told us about initiation." Weiss laughed as snow fell around them.

"Hey, I stuck that landing perfectly. It just took me a moment to pass through a few branches." Yang countered.

It only took a few minutes for Yang and Weiss to get close enough to the ground to see it approaching. Yang brought her legs up as they were about to touch down and let Weiss nearly collapse from trying to hold up both Yang and their supplies. With a flick of Weiss' hands, she disconnected their harness dropping Yang to the ground.

Yang stood up and began dusting the snow off of her outfit when Weiss was dragged past her by the parachute. The brawler quickly reached out and grabbed Weiss by her arm. With the added weight, Weiss stopped moving and began collapsing the chute. After a few minutes, Weiss had packed the chute into their backpack. Yang looked up into the sky to try and spy their airship, but it was wither too far away or masked by the falling snow. With everything they needed packed and ready to move Yang threw the pack on as Weiss pulled out a paper map.

"We have to head north east for a bit up to the base of a mountain range. If we get lucky, we'll be at our destination within a week." Weiss said proudly as she struggled to refold the barbaric form used to store information.

"Well we better get started then. I'd like to make some progress before we have to hunker down for the night." Yang threw the survival pack on and pulled a compass out of her pocket to check her heading. After a moment, she set off in a direction with Weiss following behind in the path being carved through the foot and a half of snow.

The Schnee line always had a natural affinity with ice and the cold, but what protection Weiss' soul provided couldn't keep the chilling Atlas' winds at bay forever. She tightened the hood on her winter jacket to help trap her body's heat. The landscape remained mostly unchanged spare for a few hills that they had to cross over. After a few hours of travel Weiss turned around for a moment and saw just how small the trail they were leaving behind was on the vast snowscape. If anyone did want to find them, they would need to discover their tracks within a day or two. What surprised Weiss was the lack of Grimm so far into their journey. Atlas may have been known for its chilling landscapes and insurmountable cliffs, but out on the frozen plains nothing was truly detouring the Grimm.

Yang stopped hearing the shuffle of Weiss' footsteps behind her and paused to see what was wrong. "Do you need a break?"

"I'm fine, just wondering where all the Grimm are. We should have encountered something by now."

"We should count ourselves lucky then, though I wouldn't mind a fight to help warm us up a bit." Yang stretched out her arms to help relieve some of the tension.

Weiss was about to respond when a small explosion of snow erupted behind Yang. Weiss was the first to respond by drawing her rapier and stabbing into the cloud. As the powdered snow began to dissipate they could see a mole like Grimm the size of a medium dog impaled on the steel blade. Large jagged teeth were seen in its mouth along with razor sharp claws coming out of the two front paws. The most noticeable thing about the Grimm was that its coat was black, but the snow packed onto its skin managed to camouflage most of it to match the snowy environment.

"You just had to say something, didn't you?" Weiss knew her team had stupid amounts of bad luck, but nothing compared to their ability to attract trouble once it was mentioned.

"What the heck was that thing?" Yang asked as the body began to dissolve into a black smoke.

"That would be a Cloacina. They live underground and use snow banks as cover when people are near. They typically hunt in large packs so whatever you do don't-" Yang shifted her left foot as she got into a boxing stance- "move."

The effect was immediate as a chain of small eruptions happened around them. Snow was kicked up to form a smoke screen that encircled them. Weiss remained still and waited for the enemy to reveal itself. Fighting in snow wasn't something everyone was trained for. Each step was slowed down and muscles typically stiffened in the cold impeding movement even further. It made dexterous fighters fumble their weapons or fail to reload them in the heat of battle. A deadly combination for anyone not used fighting in such conditions. Weiss however grew up and trained in that type of environment. She had memorized nearly all of the native species that plagued her home continent and how they fought.

The cylinder in Weiss' rapier spun as she stabbed the tip into the ground. A glyph appeared beneath them generating a mighty gust of wind that blew the screen of snow away. Without anywhere to hide the Cloacina were ready forced to lunge forward in an attempt to overwhelm the Huntresses. Two leaped forward at Yang as she brought her left arm forward. Her jab smashing into the side of one's head and forcing it into the other. As they began to fall to the ground Yang brought her right arm back and slammed her fist into the other while firing the shotgun housed in her gauntlet. The shot easily pierced the first Cloacina and went into the second one, killing them both.

The remaining eight were quick to charge now that the element of surprise was gone. Weiss kept three at bay by striking at them with her rapier. While Weiss dealt with three Cloacinas, the others circled around and lunged at her. Two glyphs appeared on either side of Weiss. An arm reached out of each one with a rapier in hand. The arm on the left impaled one of the attackers and threw it at the three attacking Weiss from the front. The other arm pulled the trigger on the rapier's handle and fired the gun built into the blade. A splatter of black ichor exploded out of the Cloacina's head as the glyphs faded from existence.

Weiss stabbed at the three Cloacinas and managed to kill one while the other two leaped out of the way. Yang launched herself forward and grabbed a Cloacina out of the air and punched it into the ground. With no other Grimm left, Weiss brought her weapon up and summoned a glyph behind herself. With a flash of light, she was thrown at the last Grimm and speared it through the gut as she drove it into the ground.

With the battle over Weiss could see that the bodies were rapidly dissolving into a black mist. Their survival pack seemed unharmed thanks to Yang managing to keep the Grimm in front of herself and avoiding any attacks from behind. The fighting managed to alter the once pristine field of snow enough that it could be noticeable once stumbled upon. Dirt was kicked up atop the snow from the Cloacinas' attack and the ground was damaged from some of Yang's shots. If their trail wasn't noticeable before, it was now.

"Well at least I'm not cold anymore." Yang remarked as she brought an arm up to wipe the sweat off her face.

"You haven't been out in a blizzard before, have you?" Weiss could see the confusion forming on Yang's face from trying to find the meaning behind the question.

"It does snow in Patch during the winter so I'm no stranger to snow."

"That's not what I meant, Yang. Sweating can lead to hypothermia out here in the cold. You need to take care not to overexert yourself out here. Can't have you dying when we have all this heavy gear to carry. Someone has to be a pack mule for this journey and it isn't going to be me."

"Why don't you tell me how you really feel Weiss?" Yang sarcastically remarked as she grabbed the pack and threw it on.

"We both know I'd collapse after the first several miles. I'll provide us with a proper heading and you'll provide the muscles to make it there. The brains and brawns required for this trip, if you would."

"If we're going to be stuck with each other for a few months, we're going to need to lay down some ground rules and where our boundaries lie." Yang's suggestion actually made sense to Weiss.

"Alright, fine. What do you suggest?"

"We ask each other questions as we walk and answer them honestly." Yang looked back and saw Weiss mulling over the possibilities before giving an affirmative nod. "As you can guess, growing up with Ruby can be a bit different. I practically raised her and would be there to comfort her whenever something bad happened. The point is that I grew up in an environment where we'd reassure each other through physical contact like hugs. How okay are you with physical contact like that?" Yang asked nervously, not used to displaying some of her oddities so openly.

"I can handle a few hugs Yang. If it helps you then it's not even a question." Weiss hesitantly brought her arms up in a hugging motion which Yang eagerly replied to. Yang wrapped her arms around the petite Huntresses and began twirling around. Eventually Yang stopped and let Weiss out of her grip. "Now that that's over with I have a question for you."

"Fire away, Weiss."

"This is going to be difficult to say," Weiss mumbled. "So nights are going to be really cold out here and I've heard many stories about how groups of people," Weiss paused as she tried to build up some confidence, "sleep together to conserve body heat."

"Sure, when Dad, Ruby, and I went camping in Patch we'd always share a tent."

Weiss felt her face flush red at the need to elaborate on what she just struggled to say. "We wouldn't just be sharing a tent. We'd have to share a sleeping bag."

"I thought it was going to be something horrible." Yang laughed as Weiss grew frustrated at the brawler's ease.

"Yang, this is a serious matter. We're two girls who are going to be sharing the equivalent of a bed."

"You do realize that we're both grown woman, right? Weiss, nothing between us changes just because we happen to share a bed. There's nothing sexual about it unless you want there to be." Yang gave a wink causing Weiss' face to explode in a bright red blush rivaling Ruby's cape.

Yang continued to tease Weiss over her reaction for the duration of the day since asking anymore questions was no longer possible. Weiss would immediately shut down any attempt to talk about possible situations. Yang figured that once Weiss had a night to calm down they could get back to making the trip more bearable, but for now Yang would tease Weiss.

It was around 4 o'clock when Yang noticed the sun starting to begin its decent towards the horizon. Weiss seemed to notice to since she started looking around for a suitable location to set camp for the night. It was about another hour before they came across a small outcropping of rocks rising from the ground. A few trees had taken up root around the stone providing some protection against the icy wind. Weiss tapped Yang on the shoulder and pointed to the mass in the distance alerting her to the change in course. They easily made it to the rock and Yang set their pack against the stone surface.

Yang fished through the pack and pulled out two short folding shovels. She passed one off to Weiss and they went to work clearing the grounds so they could hammer the tent into the ground. While Yang was starting to finish, Weiss began building up a short wall of snow around them. The wall along with the trees would hopefully keep the wind out. When Weiss turned around she saw that the tent was nearly finished with Yang putting its center support up.

Shelter was honestly Weiss' biggest concern and felt a huge relief wash over her thanks to Yang's outdoor skills. Food and other supplies were easy to gather, but the knowledge to properly use them in the field was something that she had no experience with. While Yang put the finishing touches on their tent, Weiss went to prepare their meals. A crude metal frame that sat about 6 inches off the ground with a burner at its center. Weiss placed a pot on it and began putting snow into it. Their canteens were emptied a few hours ago and needed to be refilled before tomorrow and a clean source of water to rehydrate their meal would be nice.

Weiss was going through the packets of food when she was poked by Yang. A startled scream was the initial response followed by Weiss pounding her fists against Yang for the sudden shock. "Don't scare me like that."

"Relax, Weiss. I didn't even do that on purpose. So, what's on the menu for tonight?"

"Freeze dried beef and a can of green beans. We can splurge on dinner since we aren't on the move. Before you ask, no we can't start getting into the jerky. We need that for when we're moving during the day." Weiss' answer was met with a pout from Yang that was quickly replaced with a grin when she saw the meat starting to remoisten at the bottom of the pot.

Yang was about to reach for the food when Weiss slapped it away. "You can't eat it yet. Let me add some green beans to the broth so we have the facade of a balanced meal." Weiss opened another package and poured the contents into the pot.

"Do you have some vitamins or something to help us not get scurvy or some other pirate related sickness?"

"We have a bottle in the pack. It's no substitute for actual food, but we aren't going to die of something idiotic at least." Weiss pointed to the pack and Yang began digging through it.

Yang and Weiss traded stories as the food finished cooking. Removing the lid from the pot, Weiss passed Yang a fork and began digging into the meal. It didn't take long for the pair to eat their food and clean the pot out. With that out of the way and the sun beginning to set, all that remained was going to sleep and starting the day again tomorrow.

Snow had continued to fall while they ate and a fresh layer of the white powder had already begun to cover the ground they cleared. The wall of snow that surrounded their camp had even done a fairly good job at keeping the wind out. If a blizzard hit them in the middle of the night, they probably wouldn't even notice thanks to the cover their camp had.

Weiss was already in the sleeping bag when Yang walked into the tent and zipped the entrance shut. Yang took off her jacket and began shifting into the sleeping bag when she realized that Weiss' body had become as stiff as a board.

"Weiss, are you really okay with this?" Yang asked, after seeing the Heiresses response.

It took a moment for Weiss to realize she was asked the question she tried to find an answer, "I'm just having more trouble accepting this than I should. Stuff like this is supposed to be done with people you're intimate with and I've heard sometimes family."

"There's nothing wrong with you, Weiss. I don't expect anyone to suddenly become as open as me in the span of a day. If this makes you uncomfortable we can find something else to do."

"Except we can't. I only packed one sleeping bag to save on space because this shouldn't even be a problem. I'm a Huntress for crying out loud. I fight monsters without flinching and this is what manages to get to me." Weiss was clearly upset by how much this was getting to her.

"If it really bothers you that much we can sleep ass to ass." Weiss was nearly put in shock from the bluntness in Yang's crass statement.

"Isn't that less efficient then the 'other method'." Weiss avoided the proper term out of embarrassment.

"Of course, only you'd be worried about the efficiency of sleeping arrangements and the word you're looking for is spooning. We'll lose more heat since our bodies won't be really touching each other's, but the sleeping bag should do fine enough to trap the heat we generate. Worse comes to worse, we can use the heater to help keep us warm."

"We can't afford to use our leave the Dust heater on through the night. We'd run out of fuel for it in about 6 days and then we'd have nothing for once we actually reach our destination." Weiss conceded as she tucked herself into a ball inside the bag.

"It's really cool that you trying to be brave and work this problem out, but you don't have to be the little spoon if you don't want to be." Weiss poked her head out from her spot and looked at Yang. "Some people don't enjoy being held onto during sleep since it's restricting or it can be a bit intimidating to let someone hold you like that." Yang wiggled further into the sleeping bag and turned away from Wiess.

Weiss hesitantly flipped around and pressed herself up against Yang's back. The heat that the blonde brawler gave off was almost unreal. It was the equivalent of standing next to a camp fire. Within a few minute of resting Weiss put her arm over Yang to keep the source of heat from moving away while she slept. The sound of wind brushing through the trees around them slowly lulled the pair to sleep. Weiss forgetting about any formalities that were drilled into her head as a child and pulling herself tight against her heater.

* * *

 **We're going to be sticking with Weiss and Yang for a bit. Their parts will focus more on the plagues effect on society and the reigning governments in some of the kingdoms. It may take a moment to actually reach the point of governments interacting, but it will happen at some point. As for scheduling, I'm going to be working on my other story for about two chapters. I'm mostly doing this to help with the burnout I experienced when writing HtH and I'm hoping it keeps both series on a certain level of quality. What this means is that there will be four weeks of me writing my other story before coming back to this one. If you want to check it out cool, if you don't that is also cool. I don't really expect too much overlap between my readers, but some of you seem to enjoy JoJo, so you might want to give it a gander.  
**


	3. Incoming

**Still alive and kicking folks. I've been having one hell of a time at home, dealing with some flooding thanks to the heavy snow fall at night followed by a high jump in temp during the day melting everything on the hills. After laying a few sandbags and breaking out the ancient contraption known as a pump, everything is somewhat fine and manageable. With all that gloom out of the way I did have a good time writting up this chapter and delving into a few things that made the land around Atlas unique. Having a second series to get into has been a nice change in pace and I haven't felt this good about a series in a while. I've yet to burnout and it haven't even felt the beginnings of it.  
**

 **Atlas is a unforgiving tundra, but our two huntresses might make it in the winter wasteland.**

 **Beta reader: Poliamida**

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Weiss' dreams had turned into something of annoyance and boredom. The Hunt had scarred a countless number of individuals and her sacrifice had likely saved just as many. Waking up on a feathered mattress with the icy chill of winter scratching across the window. Getting out of her bed, Weiss made her way to the wooden doors. The double door was easily pushed open to reveal the stone corridors she had become familiar with. A faint chill always remained in the castle despite her attempt to keep warm. Eventually Weiss simply learned to work through it and continue her routine.

Walking the halls, Weiss gave a polite bow to each person she passed. Most of the people donning more regal cloths while the knights and servants stayed out of sight. It wasn't long until she reached her destination. Large twin wooden doors that reached up to the ceiling, separated her form her goal. Gripping the metal door knockers, Weiss drew back on the hinge and pressed it forward **.** The ring of the impact piercing deep into the room. It was only a moment before the door was pulled open from the other side.

Weiss strode into the library. The two servants manning the doors quickly closing it behind her. The room was composed of two stories with book shelves reaching from one floor to the next. Ladders lined every wall to aid in retrieving any books and lines of desks for anyone to use. It didn't take Weiss long to find her pile of books still resting on top of a table in the back of the room. She had made it her mission to learn everything she could from the wealth of knowledge she now had access to. Most having to do with the Bloodkin and their rise to power. What their royalty had accomplished and how they maintained their kingdom.

Most of the stories had proven quite insightful when it came to waging war against an entrenched enemy that had most of the populace on their side. Tactics that while barbaric or dishonorable, would get the job done with minimal losses. She was most amazed by the amount of infrastructure that went into keeping an entire kingdom operational. From food and taxes to jobs done by the townsfolk. Most of the knowledge on the actual creation of the four kingdoms was lost over time, due to their origins being considered common oral knowledge. What information did remain was meager at best, with only the most basic information being retold or considered fact. The books before Weiss were a treasure trove of knowledge.

Time was never a concern of Weiss' when it came to her research. At some point, she'd suddenly find herself awake and in the real world. When she returned to sleep, she'd be back in her bed and later return to the library. It was surreal in a way. The twisting paths of the castle that seemed to double back on themselves. She eventually gave up on trying to explore the structure to focus on what she did find. Occasionally she would find entire rooms dedicated to housing statues of what had to have been past royalty. Weiss was about to return to her studies when someone approached her.

A woman wearing a red dress and enough jewelry to bankroll a small militia. "Your presence is requested, Lady Schnee."

Weiss closed her book and added it to her building pile. "Then I better not keep them waiting. Were you informed on the reason behind my summons?"

"I was not."

They exited the room to a descending staircase. Weiss would have been surprised had she not discovered the shifting structures that made up her dreams. Very few things remained constant and even those seemed to only do so for her convenience. The remainder of the trip was spent in silence. The next room they entered resembled a meeting hall. Seats lined the outer edge of the room with rows upon rows of wooden chairs. Every wall was stacked, but the one facing the entrance. About half way up the incline were two thrones and in one was sat a woman. Weiss walked to the center of the room and kneeled before the figure.

White hair cascaded from the gap in the knight helmet the woman wore. "Your manners have improved, since last we met."

"It is imperative for someone like myself to conduct business in such a manner when in the presence of royalty." Weiss kept her head down, knowing not to break her pose.

"Such honeyed words aren't befitting of a woman with a viper's tongue. Even if she was raised to be one, it merely masks one's true nature. Now, tell me Weiss. Why do you think yourself so below us?" She asked, as Weiss began to fidget underneath her gaze.

"I am little more than a vessel to house you and your people. I have not a drop of royalty in my blood and am an heiress to trade alone."

"A merchant wise enough to offer us this home and form a contract with such powerful allies. What you lack in blood has been made for with wit and risk. With time and practice, you will make an acceptable leader to our coming kingdom."

"Your words are too kind, my Queen. I will be more forth coming in the future if such roundabout ways aren't to your liking."

"Remember Weiss, we know who taught you and how. It is near time you go out and learn on your own. Falling back on such teachings will only serve to keep you in 'his' shadow. Do try not to disappoint us."

Weiss gave a soft nod in acknowledgement and stood back up. Backing out of the circle, she only turned around towards the door after moving off of the red carpet. Her rare talks with the queen hardly ever yielded anything besides snippets of information and requests. It felt more like a checkup of sorts to see how she was progressing over the weeks. Small nudges here and there to point Weiss towards specific books in her study. Things to prepare her for the future of the Bloodkin.

Looking out a nearby window into the vast nothingness that surrounded the castle, Weiss couldn't help but wonder where she was. The landscape resembled nothing of reality besides the architecture of the building itself. The grounds extended a fair bit away from the castle, before dropping off into oblivion. Weiss hadn't wished to explore outside yet, but the vast expanse didn't feel her with hope. A sudden throbbing in her head alerted Weiss to her awakening. For a brief moment, she felt angry for not having a chance to read more. Her vision flared to white as her body lost all its senses.

* * *

Weiss awoke to find she was having difficulty breathing and could barely move her body. Struggling to get out of whatever was crushing her, only led to her constrictor tightening its grip. The constant movement woke her captor. Yang let out a yawn as she woke up from her slumber. Moving her arms, Yang noticed that she had turned over in her sleep and was hugging Weiss. Yang quickly released the struggling Heiress.

"Why did you hold me like that," Weiss spat in anger.

"It's a force of habit from when Ruby and me slept in the same bed growing up. She always kicked and moved around in her sleep. I either held her while I slept or woke up to find the covers kicked off and Ruby halfway off the bed," Yang said, remembering all the time Ruby managed to kick her in the face somehow during the night. "Haven't you ever been scared as a child and shared a bed with a sibling or parent?"

"My family was never the type to act familiar to anyone, including their own blood. My sister, Winter, was the closest thing I had to a caring family member. She didn't stick around though and joined the Atlas military to get away from Father."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that," Yang offered Weiss her sympathies.

"It wasn't an easy childhood, but I turned out fine." Weiss wormed her way out of the sleeping bag and began getting ready to head back out.

"Weiss, I can tell you aren't okay. You don't handle physical contact well and sometimes flinch away from touch when you don't know it's coming. I don't know what happened to make you like that, but it can't have been good."

"Yang, you are treading on thin ice right now. I suggest you stop, before it's too late."

"I'll stop. I just want you to know that I'm there for you if you need it. You're basically family to me and Ruby. If you ever need help, know that I have your back." Yang gave a confident smile to Weiss.

"If that's over with, let's go pack up. We can't waste too much time since traveling at night is a death sentence." Weiss walked out of their tent to see the new coat of snow that fell atop their camp.

The walls of snow they built stopped any snow drift from burying them, while they slept. Walking over the wall of snow, Weiss saw how much snow had built up against it. Given a few more days, their camp site would have turned into a burial mound. Weiss jumped off the barrier and saw Yang already repacking their camp. Yang was putting the pot and its burner away into their backpack. Weiss went to brushing the snow off their tent.

Yang wen to folding their sleeping bag up and placing it into their pack. The sun was barely cresting over the horizon when everything had been put away. With the backpack fastened to Yang's back, they headed out of their makeshift shelter. Traveling over the tundra offered little resistance in the way of travel. The only thing slowing their pace being the snow itself.

Weiss leading Yang across the frozen plains proved to be rather relaxing to the duo. While it lacked the excitement, Yang craved, the new sights proved to be a comparable interest. Yang, having never been to a land that had snow for months at a time and Weiss, lacking the chance to explore outside her father's manor. The occasional sighting of wildlife preparing for the winter was always followed by Yang making sure Weiss saw the creatures.

As long as they kept up their pace, Weiss was sure they would make it to the town within a week's time. Each time they stopped, she would check the map to gauge how much progress they were making. The lack of Grimm let the two girls enjoy the scenery without worry of harm. It was about midday when they spotted something large moving west of their position. Weiss pulled out a monocular and peered into the distance. The sight shocked Weiss and caused her to grip Yang's hand and pull her to the ground.

Yang let out a huff in annoyance from being thrown into the snow. "What's the big idea, Weiss?

Weiss response was only to put a finger up to her lips and motion to the distance. It took Yang a minute to spot the odd movements on the vista. As she tried to focus on the thing moving, she noticed it was actually a group of something. Yang tapped Weiss on the arm and made a cup shape with one hand, while bringing it up to her eye. Weiss understood the gesture and passed the monocular over to the brawler. With some added magnification, Yang could now see what was actually in the distance. The creatures were easy to identify as Grimm, now that Yang could see the tar like skin that composed the beings. Each one stood at roughly 16ft and walked on two legs. Shards of bone seemed to jut out of their body to shield them from uncoordinated slashing attacks. They were oddity human in shape with two arms and a semi-normal body. The oddity was in how each Grimm was shaped differently from the other. Some had multiple heads on their shoulders and some were stockier in nature. Each one appeared well armored and strong enough to crush a car with their hands alone. The biggest thing separating them from conventional Grimm were the weapons each one wielded. Most had stone clubs in their hands, but some wielded broken street lamps, with what looked like stone spearheads forced onto its top.

Yang had never seen a Grimm of that type before. Let alone an entire group of those things traveling in some form of a group. Both waited in silence until the figures passed far out of sight. Weiss was the first to stand up and helped Yang back up. After brushing off their coats, Weiss took one last look in the direction the Grimm had gone.

"Looks like they moved on. If we're lucky they'll keep heading west and run into some of Atlas' defenses." Weiss looked back at Yang who was stood still in shock. "We have to keep on going, Yang."

"Weiss, what were those things?" Yang couldn't find a proper way to describe what she just saw and felt.

"Vale has to deal with Goliaths and we have to deal with Jötunn. Grimm that rove the tundra and attack settlements or travelers. That was an older band of them. They had stuff from other towns and have probably seen battle enough times to understand how people behave."

"How do you even fight those things?" Yang asked in defeat over the thought of taking one of them on.

"With overwhelming firepower from artillery or a team of Atlas specialists. Engaging a group in battle will always end in casualties." Weiss recalled the reports and articles she read on the unique Grimm. Their overwhelming power and tendency to travel in groups was a leading reason as to why Atlas was so intent on an automated defense system. In a battle were some of your best were almost guaranteed to die, it was obvious to throw a hundred robots at the problem instead of valuable soldiers.

"Why did we never learn about those things? We nearly spent a year in school and never even talked about things like that." Yang nearly yelled in frustration over her lack of knowledge.

"There are hundreds of variants of Grimm, Yang. Some are region specific and some will never be encountered in a Huntress's lifetime. I doubt Beacon would even cover Grimm like that until the third year." Weiss understood why her friend would be so angry over their education's gap in knowledge. "We'll be safer on the move, so let's get going."

Yang nodded in agreement and followed Weiss. Neither talked about the Jötunn sighting after they started moving again. Either out of fear or wanting to move on in their journey. It was understandable that Yang's heart managed to return to its normal rhythm after a few minutes of silence and peace. The initial shock of seeing the monsters beginning to fade into the back of her mind. If what Yang had felt was anything to go by, it was going to be an interesting week of travel for the pair.

* * *

"Are we there yet?" Yang asked, clearly bored.

"No."

"How about now?"

"No," Weiss answered back, even louder than before.

"What about now?"

"No," Weiss' responses continuing to grow in volume.

"How about-" Yang was about to finish when Weiss interrupted her.

"Yang Xiao Long, I will bury you under 10 feet of snow and leave your body to be discovered by god knows who." Weiss fumed with her weapon in hand.

"Sheesh, I'll stop asking then."

It was only a matter of minutes before Yang began humming a tune of some kind to herself. The action normally being little more than an annoyance to Weiss turned grating after hearing it for over an hour or travel. At this point, Weiss wasn't even sure if the brawler was doing it to annoy her or out of habit. They crested over a hill and Weiss stopped dead. Yang failed to notice the sudden stop and bumped into Weiss.

"Why did you stop?" Yang asked.

Weiss didn't respond and only pointed forward with her hand. Yang's gaze followed the direction and saw the wall of approaching white rolling over the land. The blizzard was nothing like Yang had ever seen before. For all her knowledge on the outdoors, she had nothing to describe the billowing mass of snow and cloud. They couldn't see anything past the storm and all that laid before them was flat tundra.

"So, what's the plan, Weiss?"

"I don't know," Weiss said defeatedly. "We were supposed to beat the winter storms."

"It can't be that bad. We'll just make a quick shelter and wait for a day or two for it to pass." Yang suggested with a grin.

"Blizzards don't last for a few days in Atlas, Yang. Once a blizzard hits, they last for a week at least. If we set up camp, we'll either be buried alive or starve to death." Weiss' face was fallen with defeat over their oncoming demise.

"Then how much further till we reach that town you were talking about? We've been traveling for six days now, Weiss. They must have built a shelter or two for when storms like this hit." Yang tried to give Weiss a possible way out of their situation.

Weiss looked between Yang and the storm for a moment in contemplation. Weiss reached into their backpack and pulled out a length of rope. Tying one end around herself, she threw the rest back to Yang "Tie this around yourself. The town can be anywhere from 30 minutes to 16 hours through that storm. Cover your entire face and put these goggles on." Weiss threw a pair to Yang as she put her own on. "We can probably forge on for about 6 hours before our bodies start to give out."

"If it comes down to that, I'll carry you the rest of the way." Yang tied the rope around her waist and gave it a testing tug.

"No, you won't. If I collapse, you need to keep going without me. I won't risk some dead weight slowing you down. You'll need to take my necklace, go to Atlas, and find my sister. Tell her I gave it to you and that I was no longer the loneliest of them all. She'll find a way to get you back to Vale." Weiss explained, fashioning a cloth mask over her face to shield it from the gusting snow.

"I am not leaving you behind, just so I might survive."

"Would you rather we both die? I refuse to be your death. Now stop wasting time and follow behind me." Weiss started walking away, towards the oncoming storm.

Yang was quick to follow her. The rope only had 15ft of slack between them. With Weiss taking the lead, Yang did her best to match pace. Snow was already something she wasn't sued to traveling in and Weiss seemed barely slowed by the element. It wasn't long before they reached the storm wall. The first step was almost painful as the snow whipped around them. Yang was thankful to have taken Weiss' advice and completely covered up. She dreaded to think about how she would have felt if part of her face was exposed to the storm.

Weiss continued to lead Yang through the storm in hopes of finding the town. A true shelter was one of the few things that could save them from the harsh Atlas blizzards. They pressed on through the storm and it only continued to grow worse. The wind whipped the snow around them and threw it in every direction. Eventually the storm only continued to grow, leading to Yang losing all visibility after about 10 feet.

After walking for a few hours Weiss felt her body beginning to weaken. The cold finally starting to overtake her, as her body failed to generate enough heat. Her body began to shiver in a attempt to keep itself warm. Weiss felt lucky that Yang was far enough back to not see her. Her hands began to tremble from the cold. Weiss drew her weapon and swiftly cut the rope connecting her and Yang. Using what little strength she had, Weiss began heading in a separate direction. She hoped Yang would find a way to survive without her.

Yang felt the line slacken for a moment and continued to follow the rope. It only took a minute for her to reach the end of the line and see the frayed edges where it was severed. Yang brought a glove up to her goggles and franticly wiped them clean of snow. She searched the snow and saw the trail Weiss left behind. It was clear that Weiss was dragging her legs through the snow, lacking the energy to lift them up fully. Rushing down the trail, Yang tripped over something, causing her to fall into the snow. Turning her head to look back, she saw Weiss collapsed on the ground.

"No you don't, Weiss. Come on. We're getting out of here together." Yang put one hand under Weiss' knees and the other against her back. Lifting the Heiress up in a

"Yang, pendent," Weiss barley managed to whisper to her savior.

"If you want your sister to have that pendent, you can deliver it to her yourself. Now stop talking. You need to conserve your energy." Yang started walking, hoping they would find the town.

She could feel her steps getting heavier over time. The freezing temperature doing their best to eat away at her. The storm wasn't relenting either. Visibility almost impossible after 6 feet out. Still, Yang continued to press forward into the blinding white. Snow crunching beneath her boots and the sound of Weiss' breathing barely reaching her ears. It had felt like hours had passed when Yang's leg nearly gave out. She barely stopped herself from tipping over. It took all she could to continue on, as her body yelled at her to stop.

Yang couldn't find the strength to keep her head up to stare into her approaching end and put all her effort into moving forward. Her movement was interrupted, as she bumped into something. Looking up, Yang saw a stone wall. What little flame that flickered inside of her, grew in size thanks to the hope she felt. She walked the length of the wall in search of an entry point. The solution came in a sizable collapsed portion of the defense. It was shattered from the outside with rubble spilling into the town.

Structures collapsed from the constant ware from the Atlas storms. Most of the wooden portions having rotted out ages ago, leaving only their shell. The sight was eerie to Yang, as she hobbled through the town. It was clear that the buildings were meant to last. Stone and mortar being a classic and proven method of designing things to stand the test of time. If left alone, the town would likely still be at least partially around for centuries. Yang made her way through what she assumed was a road buried beneath the foot of snow. Following the main road, she found herself at the center of town. The open space and destroyed fountain surrounded by metal benches.

It only took a moment for Yang to see a bent metal pole sticking out of the ground. The steel twisted from something large impacting it. Nearing the top of the nearly downed pole, Yang saw the directional arrows covered in snow. Brushing the snow off the signs revealed a plethora of new information. Each sign pointed to something of importance, whether it was an inn, blacksmith, mechanic shop, markets, or the town's fort. With little time left to spare, she began heading towards the town's fort. What would have served as a last bastion of hope and would hopefully act as hers.

A three-story stone fort sat near the edge of town. Two towers that rose from the structure had crumbled into a mockery of what once stood. Yang approached to find that the front door no longer existed and claw marks lined the frame. Activating her weapon, the yellow bracelets on her arm extended into a pair of gauntlets that shielded her forearm. A few broken windows helped illuminate the building's interior, as well as allow snow to slowly drift into the first floor. Placing the backpack on the ground, Yang pulled Weiss over her shoulder. Between leaving Weiss or the supplies alone, Yang didn't even need to question her own decision. Going deeper into the structure in search of a basement, Yang kept her guard up. Weiss's violent shivers and sharp breaths urging Yang on.

Reaching the staircase only revealed darkens in the buildings depths. No light could reach beneath the stone structure, but it also kept out the chilling storm that raged above. Grabbing a flare and popping its top, Yang descended into the basement. A red glow emanated form her left hand, while her right was raised to guard from any Grimm that might leap out at her. The first-floor basement was surprisingly deep below the building. About 25 feet beneath the surface. The ground was almost always a constant temperature and Yang wondered if the basement was designed to take advantage of the natural warmth.

The entire room was mostly empty spare for a few desks and fileing cabinets that were pushed against the wall. There was even a safe built into the floor that appeared undamaged from the passage of time. A single metal door was built into one of the walls. A small electric panel of some kind was next to the door, keeping it locked tight. Taking Weiss off her back, Yang pulled out their sleeping back and laid Weiss in it. The Heiress' lips had turned blue and her face even paler. Dragging the desks over, Yang quickly covered up the stairway entrance. Yang rushed back to Weiss, seeing her still shivering and struggling to breath.

The heater Yang turned on would slowly warm the room to a comfortable temperature, but it wasn't the immediate solution she needed. She doubted Weiss could warm herself up without any external aid. It didn't take long for Yang to decide what to do. "Weiss, I don't know if you can understand me right now, but I'm going to try to warm you up."

Yang unzipped her winter gear and began undoing Weiss'. Sliding into the sleeping bag, Yang hissed as the cold burned her skin. Weiss extremities were chilled to the touch. What heat Yang generated was just as quickly taken into Weiss' body. The cold seemed to be constant and refused to wane, despite how long Yang stayed with Weiss. After several minutes of bearing with the burning chill, Yang felt Weiss beginning to warm up. Relief washed over Yang's face at the sight of some color returning to her friend's face.

"Yang," Weiss weakly whispered.

"Try to relax, Weiss. We made it to town and set up camp in a basement. You're lucky I'm hot enough to keep the both of us warm." Yang saw a frown trying to form on Weiss' face.

"I will end you." The threat came out mumbled as Weiss tried to articulate her lips to little effect.

"Someone has to be around to melt that icicle you call a heart since Ruby isn't here." Yang offered Weiss a smile. "Let's just sleep for now. Nothing is getting in here without causing a racket, so at least try to get some sleep."

Weiss seemed ready to protest, but gave up. Being exhausted and her body slowly returning to a normal temperature, drained her of any resistance. Weiss wished that she could see the rest of her team again. After living with them for so long, they had become a part of her everyday life. The small noises Yang made managing to ease her into a slumber. She understood that falling asleep would mean meeting with the Bloodkin again and dealing with the fallout from her actions. Barely having a moment to dwell on the thought, Weiss accepted her slumber and felt herself fading away from her aching body.

* * *

 **There is no way that I would willing live in the middle of a tundra surrounded by hills and things that wanted to kill me, oh wait. Horror stories aside, creating new and actually dangerous Grimm has been enjoyable. Anything that is vaguely humanoid, but not us is the stuff of nightmares for most people. Raiding tendencies and enough intelligence to create makeshift weapons was just the frosting on the cake. We should have one more chapter on the Yang and Weiss journey before moving onto our next character. If I can't fit it into one chapter then it will finish on it's fourth to complete the little story arc going on. Until next time, hope you all are having some great whether.  
**


	4. Shelter

**This has been one heck of a journey up to this point. It should be interesting to see how well the two of them manage to do in their new home away from home. Not to much else to say for now, so go and see just how unfriendly Atlas' environment is in the frontier.  
**

 **Beta reader: Poliamida**

* * *

Weiss felt something pressing down on her while she slept, and it was radiating heat like a fire. Slowly opening one of her eyes, she saw the source of the heat. Yang had fallen asleep atop of Weiss. The sound of wind whipping against the building could be heard, even in the basement they were camped in. Waking up had been a comfort after receiving punishment from the Bloodkin for endangering their vessel. She could still feel the injuries she sustained in the dream. A dull throbbing that would likely bother her through the day. As Weiss was about to rest her eyes until Yang awoke, she felt something cold running down her face. Bringing her free hand up, she felt the wet substance and realized Yang drooled in her sleep.

Any semblance of calm was broken as Weiss screamed out in distress and thrashed about beneath her teammate. Yang weighing a bit more than the Heiress thanks to the muscles she had. Using her hand to grasp at the ground, Weiss slowly began dragging herself free. It was slow going, but eventually Weiss managed to pull herself free. Weiss looked down and saw most of her winter gear had been stripped off of her. Turning around at the likely source of her problems, she brought her leg back and delivered a boot to Yang's side. The blonde barely budging from Weiss' attack. Seeing no immediate effect, she decided to try again. She shot her foot forward again and was met with a sudden stop due to Yang gripping the appendage. With a quick jerk, Weiss was brought to the ground.

"You know, it isn't very nice to kick people in their sleep." Yang gave a yawn after waking up.

"You drooled on me!" Weiss could barely keep her anger in check at the thought of what had happened.

Yang brought her hand up to her mouth to wipe away some of the liquid. "Sorry about that. I try to sleep with my mouth closed, but sometimes my nose gets stuffy during the night."

"I should have brought a second sleeping bag."

"Sorry, Ice Queen, but someone had to warm up your frigid body." Yang gave a smirk as Weiss turned red. "Calm down Weiss. I just had to stop you from dying of hypothermia."

"I knew that. I just wasn't sure if you were being crass or sincere."

"Bit tough to tell at times, but I have faith you'll eventually reach Ruby's level of interpreting my very nuanced language."

"I'm already starting to regret you saving me."

"That's the spirit, now I'm going to make breakfast. See if you can find anything useful in here and by the way, you might want to get dressed."

Weiss looked down and realized she was still in her sleepwear. She rushed over to her clothing and began putting most of her gear back on. Having a roof over their head eliminated the need for their heavy winter jackets, but without a proper source of heat they still needed to wear most of their gear. Going from desk to desk, Weiss pried open the drawers in search of anything of use. Most held papers from when the town was still operational. Nothing too significant besides possible kindling should they need it. The sealed metal door probably led to the town's emergency shelter. From the appears she had read, funding was cut before they could complete the entire shelter.

"Hope you like oatmeal and dried fruit. Cause that's what we got." Yang pulled out a metal cup and filled it to the brim.

"What I wouldn't do for a real breakfast," Weiss mumbled while eating her meal.

"What I wouldn't do for some bacon," Yang said in response.

"Do you even know how to butcher an animal?"

"Don't have to, I brought a book."

Weiss gave a chuckle at the thought of Yang standing over an animal and quickly looking between it and a book. The blonde struggling to bring a knife to the creature before passing out. Though Weiss was glad she wouldn't have to deal with it should they manage to hunt an animal in the future.

"Do we have a plan or are we just going to hold up for the winter in here?" Yang asked. She was already fishing through their packs to count up the remaining supplies. "Because I don't think we have enough to last us for two weeks, let alone a month."

"We might be fine if we ration what is left, but that might leave us compromised if Grimm attack us. Fighting while half-starved is only going to lead to accidents." Weiss looked back over to the sealed door. Even after all these years, it still seemed to be completely intact.

Most of Atlas' native animals had gone into hibernation for the grueling winter. Game would be nearly impossible to come across and any edible vegetation wouldn't be ready to harvest until late spring. If they were lucky, the blizzard could end a week or two early and they might find something left in the town. Until then though, they would be stuck inside due to the buildup of snow. Weiss wouldn't have been surprised if they already had 3 feet of snow built up outside. If the cities drainage system was no longer functional, then they'd have an entirely different problem come spring.

Grabbing her scroll from their backpack, Weiss walked up to the sealed door. She looked at the panel for a moment before drawing her rapier and hitting it's top with the pommel of the weapon. Several hits later and the front of the panel was busted off. The inside had several cords running between the screen, control board, and back into the wall. adding a cable to her scroll, Weiss plugged her device into the panel. The panel lit up green with the door clicking as it unlocked. Weiss unplugged her scroll and put it back on her waist. She turned around to see Yang awestruck by the result.

"Never took you for being tech savvy, Weiss. Where did you learn to do that?"

"My older sister actually taught me a few things she learned in the military. The fact that nearly all of Atlas' security is contracted through SDC does have some advantages. Backdoors for anything that goes through the company and the keys held within every Schnee's scroll."

"Isn't that incredibly dangerous? Like, kingdom security level of trouble if someone took it?" Yang looked at the device at Weiss' hip with slight worry.

"Biometrics will keep it from anyone who is not a Schnee. It won't work on anything that has been built since I went to Beacon. Unless I can get back to the manor and sneak into the family vault, this will have to do." Weiss felt some slight disappointment in only being able to deal with what would be considered antiquated technology.

"This is amazing Weiss," Yang exclaimed. "You have the equivalent of a master key to all of Atlas."

"For now, let's focus on seeing if this shelter has any food left in storage. Ration packs might not be the tastiest, but they can last for decades." Weiss held her rapier up at the ready and began entering deeper into the shelter.

Yang following behind with a flashlight to help illuminate the dark. The walls appeared much more modern than the rest of the structure and seemed to have been mostly composed of steel. A shelter that should have been able to keep the citizens safe until military aid could arrive to evacuate them. Weiss hoped that the town was evacuated and the shelter was unused, but its age suggested it was one of the several abandoned projects after Atlas put a hold on expansion efforts. Military support was slowly pulled from the outer edges after the Mountain Glenn expansion in Vale collapsed. People lost faith in the possibility of new cities and those in power felt the resources could be better spent on other projects.

No news coverage or anything on any of the many towns that went dark. Just another skeleton that was quietly swept into Atlas' growing closet. No classes covered the expansions and those involved were either dead or paid off. All thanks to a little money changing hands. Weiss was broken from her thoughts when Yang shined the light on what looked like a gun of some kind. Yang recognized the barrel as that of a shotgun's. The light shined up the barrel until it stopped at the skeletal hand gripping the trigger. Yang froze at the sight and turned the light away from the gun and skeleton. Weiss covered her mouth with her hand, as she felt some bile beginning to rise in her throat. Neither having the stomach to turn back around immediately. Both stood in the darkness staring at the wall Yang was illuminating.

"I don't think this place is empty Weiss," Yang nearly heaved.

"I hate to say this, but we have to examine the body."

"No way am I getting near that thing."

"Just shine a light on it. I need to know if any Grimm got in here."

"I hate this," Yang mumbled as she turned the flashlight back towards the dead body. She turned her head the moment the light got close to the remains.

Weiss could see that the body was just the skeletal remains with clothing holding the body together. Most of the bones seemed intact until Weiss looked down at the legs. Both had been shattered and bent at awkward angles. If the lights were working, the dead person would have a view of the entry hall and enough time to react to anything coming through. The uniform suggested either a town guard or militia member thanks to the faded emblem on the front of the jacket.

"Looks like this person was left here with their gun. They were probably retreating from something and sealed the door after getting inside. If we're lucky, the body was left here due to an emergency rescue not having time to collect the dead," Weiss said. She stood back up having seen all she needed to.

"And if we're unlucky?" Yang asked.

"All the food in storage has been eaten and there are more bodies just laying around this place."

Yang turned the light towards a hall leading deeper into the facility. They reached another sealed door that Weiss managed to unlock. She wondered just how large something like this would have to be to house a large town's growing population. The shared sleeping quarters would have to be massive and they would need enough supplies to feed the residents for several weeks. The place should have been loaded, but most of the facility appeared empty. Most of what they had come across were bare rooms connected by hallway after hallway.

Eventually, they found a door labeled 'Storage'. Weiss connected her scroll to the locked door and it came to life. A red light flickered for a moment and turned green, signifying clearance. Weiss held her breath as the door slid open. Yang shined a light into the room and saw several dozens of shelves bare of anything. Not a single crumb was left in the vacant room. There wasn't even any trash from the missing food. No empty cans or wraps littered the floor of the room.

"How is this even possible?" Weiss asked aloud in shock.

"Let's check out the rest of the rooms. Some people might have a secret stash of food. Ruby used to hide candy all over the dorm so I couldn't stop her from eating it."

"Let's just focus on the generator for now. If I'm going to die, I'm going to die in a comfortable and heated room." Weiss declared.

"Good to see you have your priorities set. I'm just glad that most the doors have their own power source. Not that I'd mind busting down a few doors, but these things look like they could take a beating." Yang smiled as she tapped the steel door with her fist.

"If this doesn't work out, we might be able to hit the mayor's house. Second most likely place to have some canned goods and emergency supplies."

"Think we could actually get through the city in the middle of this storm?"

"Nope, but trying to survive is what matters right now. Try to think about the next move and never stop moving towards your objective."

It didn't take long to find the generator room. Most of the halls seemed to be labeled with directional arrows painted onto the walls. Each room they passed was just as bare as the last and their hope was slowly dwindling. When they found the room, they saw that the door was already wedged open. The automated system failing to reseal the door due to it being bent out of shape.

Weiss already realized the likely answer and didn't bother to look inside the room. Yang peaked into the room to see that the only remaining object in the room was the shell of the generator. All the internal components were missing and all the spare parts that should have been lining the shelves were gone. Everything they saw pointed towards the facility being stripped of any valuables. The town was roughly 30 years old, giving plenty of time for anyone to come in and salvage some items. Up till the generator room, there had been no signs of forced entry making their current problem even more confusing.

"Think there's anything on the next floor?" Yang asked.

"It was under construction when funding was pulled, so I doubt it would have anything of value. Even if it did, I doubt anything would still be down there."

"Might as well give it a shot before we risk going back outside." Yang gave a solid point that Weiss had trouble refuting immediately.

"Okay," Weiss stated before turning sarcastic in tone. "Maybe we can eat the excavated rocks and live off the moss." She led Yang through the corridors towards the stairs.

"Moss has plenty of uses Weiss. I just wouldn't advise eating it since it has no nutritional value and could be poisonous." It was most useful in constructing sealants and adhesives, but neither had any immediate value to the pair.

"Let's get this over with then." Weiss rounded the corner and stopped in her tracks.

Where a staircase should have been, instead sat a scrap elevator with a crank to raise and lower the device. Two pullies were anchored to the ceiling and fed into the crank that was haphazardly bolted to the floor. Most of the contraption appeared fine, save for some rust beginning to take hold of the elevator. Yang walked up beside the Heiress to marvel at the first sign of something living down there. Yang had a grin on her face, as she stepped onto the device. Weiss reached out to stop her teammate, only to watch the brawler jump up and down to prove the stability of the platform.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?" Weiss exclaimed in anger.

Yang merely laughed in response to Weiss' worry. "Don't worry so much Weiss. We're two Huntresses. I'm sure we can handle a little fall."

"Huntresses in Training, Yang."

"Gotta fake it till you make it. The way I see it, we are more than qualified at this point."

"We barely finished our first year."

"We technically never finished out first-year thanks to Vale falling to pieces during the Hunt. If we can survive out here for a few months, we might as well be a pair of Huntresses." Yang held out a hand for Weiss.

Weiss placed her hand atop Yang's and was pulled over to the platform. The rigging shook from the added momentum for a moment. Once it settled back down, Yang handed Weiss the flashlight and began slowly turning the crank. The platform began to lower itself into the depths. Weiss watched as the steel walls transitioned into stone. A loud creak came from above causing Yang to pause for a moment. The noise intensified until a snap was heard and the entire lift began to plummet.

Both girls let out a scream as the elevator fell for about one second before hitting the ground with a thud. Weiss coughed into her hand and quickly stepped off the platform. They were in a rather large cavern. Cables and lights were hanged from the ceiling but lacked any power. There were even a few rotting crates placed around the elevator. The entire room seemed to have been active at some point in the past. Tools were left out along with a table with four ceramic plates atop it.

"Doesn't look like anyone is home, Weiss. We might find something to eat down here."

"Guess we know what happened to everything upstairs. They continued construction down here and expanded the shelter. This is amazing Yang!" Weiss nearly yelled with excitement. "This place should have a supply of water and maybe a means of producing food or at least some stores."

"Things are actually looking up for once. Knew our luck would have to turn eventually."

"Let's see if they brought the generator down here. Something had to have powered these lights at some point." Weiss pointed up with the flashlight, showing the cable that ran across the ceiling with lights hanging off it.

Weiss kept the light on the cable as they followed it back through the cavern. The cables running through a tunnel and joining others along the wall. Metal staples kept them hoisted off the ground and continuing down the tunnel. Each step echoed through the empty and quite cavern. Nothing, besides the two Huntresses, was making any form of noise. The light showed the cables take a turn into another tunnel with several other cables hanging from the ceiling, and another at the end of the hall.

A generator sat in the center of the room and was in fairly decent shape. A good amount of the generator was covered in a scrap casing to shield its components. Weiss knew the large generator was old, but most of the components seemed to be in working condition. She hesitantly put her hand against the starter and pressed it. The device sputtered for a moment before coming to life. The hanging lights turning on, now that they had power running through them all.

The once dark tunnels were shining brightly as both girls covered their eyes from the sudden blast of light. Once their eyes had readjusted, they went to work on finding whatever food might remain. The likelihood of rations or canned goods seemed bad, but if so many people were living down in the caves there was bound to be a secondary source of food. Weiss relaxed for a moment now that they had a proper shelter to work with. The two exploring more of the now illuminated cave system.

"Hey, Weiss. I think this is a computer." Yang called out to the Heiress. Weiss entered the room to find a physical monitor stood atop a table. Wires ran from the monitor into a metal box that sat beneath it.

Weiss ran her hand across the screen to clear up the accumulated dust. The old analog device even used an actual keyboard to help navigate. Hard light projections hadn't been as readily used in technology at the time. The tech was first introduced as barriers and walls to separate freeways and work as guard rails. It was hard for either girl to imagine what the world was like 30 years ago, without so much of their current technology. A password was all that was needed to access the device. Weiss merely looked back at Yang with a grin before pulling out her scroll and connecting the two objects.

The screen turned to a standard Schnee tech issue background. A number of shortcuts were strewn across the screen. Each linking to a file of some kind. After a minute of scanning the screen, Weiss found a logbook that would hopefully explain what happened. Opening the file, she saw several dozen documents appear in the window. Each one dated a week apart from the last. All the information could prove useful at some point, but Weiss had to focus on their current problem and questions. Opening the latest file dated at 26 years ago, she began to read. Most of the information pertained to the daily operations and supply usage, but the ending message was what piqued Weiss interest.

'We've been receiving noise complaints again from those in the eastern living quarters. I told them that we had begun excavating again to help expand the shelter, but I'm still worried about the possibility of subterranean Grimm. Atlas has never had too much problem with the Grimm this deep into the ground. All types of recorded Grimm in Atlas at most will lie just below the surface. If it is Grimm, then it's nothing Atlas has seen before. I'm going to gather up some people to investigate and see if there is a way to deal with this if it is Grimm.'

Both girls stepped away from the screen and cautiously turned around towards the entryway. They had their weapons drawn. Yang used her head to motion Weiss to look back at the computer while she kept watching. Weiss lowered her weapon and went back to the computer to try and find more on the apparent deathtrap they walked into.

A map appeared on the screen of what was the underground portion of the shelter. Irregularly shaped rooms that were carved out from the stone. There was even a floor beneath the one they were on which would have housed the survivors. What caught Weiss' eye, was the oddly mapped addition to the living quarters. Red circles were placed around the corners of the room. It was clear that the map wasn't completed for that section of the drawing since it tapered off into a blank space. An attachment file was linked to the image listed as 'seal procedures'.

Opening the file, Weiss saw plans to plant explosives in a new cave opening and seal it away under the rubble. The plan seemed sound, but the number of people involved suggested there was something more in the cave and the tunnels connecting it. There was even a section on expected losses and multiple detonators handed out between three people. The attack almost seemed suicidal with everyone having explosives on their body in case only a few made it. What worried Weiss, was that there was no one in the shelter and that the plan was dated only a few days after the last log.

The elevator was destroyed and the only means of sealing off their first camp was unlocked. A shotgun blast going off shook Weiss from her thoughts. She turned around to see Yang firing shot after shot into the tunnel. Yang rushed back to Weiss and took her hand, dragging her away from the terminal. Weiss could see the dissolving remains of a multi-legged Grimm. They ran through the tunnels with the sound of a stampede rushing just behind them. A clicking noise could be heard, causing Weiss to look back.

The Grimm were large spiders, about the size of a large dog. Each one having eight legs tipped with bone and more eyes than any creature needed. Razor-edged mandibles clacking together as they followed behind the pair. They scurried over the wall and ceiling to fit as many as possible down the tunnel in unison. The swarm was only slowed down from Yang taking shots into the moving mass and forcing them to climb over some of the dissolving bodies. They managed to make it back to the main room and ran towards the elevator.

Yang pulled Weiss onto the destroyed elevator and looked up the empty shaft, towards the entrance. "We need to go up!" Yang looked around frantically for something to use to help them climb.

Weiss pulled out her rapier and projected a glyph beneath the platform. She pumped a fair amount of her aura into the glyph as it turned black. With a pulse of light, the platform was launched back up the shaft. Both Huntresses leaped off the elevator as it reached the top. A crash was heard from the scrap contraption slamming into the ceiling. The metal device was barely hanging onto the edge thanks to it being too off center to fit through the opening.

"It just had to be Grimm. We couldn't have a well-lit and supplied shelter without there being some catch." Weiss complained to the universe.

"As long as they stay down there, we should be fine." Yang barely finished her sentence when a noise could be heard rising through the shaft.

"You just had to say something." Weiss rushed up to the platform and began pushing it. "Don't just stand there. Help me push this thing back into place"

Yang rushed over to Weiss and helped her push the scrap elevator back into place. When it was realigned. It plummeted back down the shaft making a crunching noise every time it hit one of the Grimm on the way down. A loud splat was heard once it fell to the very bottom.

"What's the plan, Weiss?"

"We need to seal up whatever hole they're using to get in. If we can seal it, then we should be able to scavenge some supplies from downstairs." Weiss couldn't risk losing the only resource they had.

"Why can't we just seal up the shaft? Seems a lot safer than going back down into the fray."

"Because we won't survive the winter without some more supplies. This shelter would be our best bet if we could get rid of the Grimm."

"How do we do that then? I don't know about you, but I didn't pack military grade explosives when leaving Beacon. All I got are a few Dust grenades from Nora."

"That shouldn't be a problem. The people who used to live here had a plan on taking care of the Grimm problem. We just have to collect the explosives off their bodies and plant them, if they didn't manage to."

"Alright then. Let's see what we can do." Yang reloaded her gauntlets in preparation.

"We're going to beeline for the tunnel that leads to their cave entrance. Attach the explosives to the columns in the room and the four corners. After that, we just have to detonate them and be outside of the blast radius."

Yang was the first to step forward and fall down the shaft. She brought both her arms back and began firing to slow her descent. Each blast nailing the bottom of the chute and hitting the Grimm that had piled up beneath. The spiny limbs being shredded from each shot. Yang landed atop one of the Grimm and began tearing into them. Weaving around their attempts to stab her and using the crippled ones as shields.

Weiss landed delicately thanks to her use of Glyph platforms. She stepped onto the ground and rushed forward towards her first target. A precise stab through one of their eyes was all Weiss needed to end the creature. The same result was difficult to accomplish now that the Grimm had begun to erratically move their bodies to avoid fatal blows. Forcing Weiss to use more slashing strikes to account for their movement. Each one killed was just as easily replaced with another. It would only be a matter of time before they were overwhelmed by the sheer number of opponents.

With their options limited, Weiss leaped back to Yang. With someone to watch her back, she went to work on evening the odds. She stabbed her rapier into the ground causing a dark red glyph to begin taking shape. The symbol rapidly beginning to rotate. From the center glyph, 8 more formed around its edge. All the glyphs began to pick up speed to match the center piece. Figures cloaked in armor began to rise from the glyphs. Most were lightly armored with silver scales covering their vitals. An intricate helmet that lacked eye slits was worn over their heads. Out of the eight knights summoned, two wore regal attires with a silver wig.

The new competent walked forward and drew their weapons. The regal due with a rapier in one hand and a pistol in the other. Each armored knight unsheathed their own swords. The tide finally turned thanks to there being enough people to trim the numbers of Grimm. With the ability to push back against the Grimm, Weiss and Yang began moving towards the tunnel leading downwards. Confined spaces being where Yang thrived in combat. She unloaded her weapon down the tunnel to thin more of the Grimm. Any that got within her reach being pulverized by a swift blow.

Breaking through into a large cavern, Weiss was shocked by how inhuman the entire place looked compared to the rest of the shelter. Webbing covered the corners of the cave and covered the ceiling. Weiss could even see the remains of the past inhabitants hanging from some of the webs. Their remains held together by the webbing. The cavern they were in had been cleared out by the spiders tunneling through the ground. A number of tunnels emptied out into the room from every possible angle. Weiss couldn't set the room ablaze for fear of detonating any explosives that might be on some of the cocooned remains.

Both Huntresses couldn't blindly fire into the webbing. They began looking at the remains to try and find someone who looked important enough to give a detonator. With a number of bodies hanging around the cavern, the initial placement of explosives might not matter. A large amount detonating near the ceiling could easily collapse the entire room. Their searching proved difficult thanks to the continued influx of Grimm. They cut their way deeper into the nest and saw a line of corpses strung up against the wall. Some appeared to have been armed with pistols or rifles at one point. Most had empty holsters, but one kept a weapon clenched in their death grip.

Yang could see a belt on the armed skeleton with a few devices strapped to it. Among them was a cylinder with a trigger and button built into it. Weiss noticed Yang's gaze and followed it to the detonator. Weiss looked around for any sign of a trap and finally turned her head up. Above the bodies, towards the ceiling, was a large opening in the sea of webs. The darkness that seeped from within the abyss made Weiss uneasy. From size alone, it could have housed several dozen more Grimm. Each ready to pounce once someone walked underneath. Reaching out, Weiss put her hand on Yang's shoulder and pointed to the large hole in the ceiling.

Weiss looked to the four knights that came with her to clear the cave. The other four keeping their exit clear of any Grimm. They'd have a plan of retreat should the entire plan fall apart. Seeing as they couldn't fire into the darkness for fear of setting off an explosive, they decided to trigger the trap on their own terms. The group walked towards the bodies, each person spaced a fair distance from the other. As they were about halfway to their objective, the ground began to shake. Everyone had their weapons drawn and was ready to move at a moment's notice.

A set of legs began to crawl over the webbing above them. Each leg was about the size of a bus and covered in jagged bone. Weiss stood frozen at the giant Grimm that had walked out of the hole. It was about three stories tall and effortlessly moved about the web. They could feel the eyes on the monster watching them with hunger. A Grimm mask encasing its skull, as four pincer-like mandibles extended from under its eyes.

Yang made the first move towards the detonator, causing the Grimm to let out a screech in anger. It dropped from the ceiling and landed with a thunderous crack, as the stone beneath its legs was shattered. The group avoided it's opening move and dispersed even further from each other. A decently sized grouping would be too tantalizing for any Grimm. Each decided to attack the giant's legs. Steel clashing against hardened bone. Each strike would cause a reverberation to shake up through the weapons.

The extremities seemed too hard to cut conventionally, leaving the main body which stood about 16 feet above them the only valid target. Two Black Glyphs appeared on the battlefield. One near Yang and another near one of the knights. Both ran at each glyph and were catapulted upwards. The knight stabbing his blade into the Grimm to maintain his grip, while Yang ran along it's back. She began firing shells into it to help launch herself towards the head of the Grimm. Yang stopped her charge when she saw spiders begin to crawl out from within the giant Grimm. Flesh being forced apart to make an exit point, then hastily covered with some webbing.

They were hardly making a dent in the giant Grimm and with more spiders entering the battlefield, time wasn't on their side. Yang ran between the new arrivals and headed towards the neck of the Grimm. A small patrol of spiders following behind her. Reaching the connecting point for the head and body, she began firing at the joint. The skin was tough, but repeatedly firing at the same spot did manage to blast open a decent sized hole into its body. Black ichor spilled from the wounds of the Giant. Once of the smaller spiders tried to impale Yang with its leg while her back was turned. The brawler leaped into the air and threw two cylinder-like devices into the wound, as she fell back towards the ground.

An explosion erupted from the wound, throwing several spiders from the giants back. The Giant itself screamed in pain and ran into the wall to scrape off any interlopers. The Grimm seemed to be in pain only. It retained all its agility with a new-found anger for the attacking group. It began to furiously stomp about in an attempt to squash the group. Weiss and the others easily leap out of the way as spiders rained down from above. Weiss was quick to kill a few of the spiders with a flourish of blows that flowed from one to the next. Dashing around the battlefield and swiftly killing any Grimm that failed to see her approach.

"This isn't working!" Yang yelled over to Weiss.

"Go for the detonator. We'll bring this cavern down atop it."

Weiss ran underneath the Grimm's head and began conjuring ghostly bolts of energy. After several had taken shape around her, she slashed her blade across the air and unleashed the volley. The red bolts arcing through the air and exploding on contact. The smoke cleared to reveal that she had barely managed to dirty the Grimm's mask. She prepared another volley to try and garner the monster's attention. Pulling out a red vial of Dust, Weiss poured the substance into the air. The particles being drawn into each bolt of energy and causing them to crackle with new potential. She waved her hand to unleash the new hail of projectiles. The orbs flew out past the head before turning mid-air and crashing into the Grimm's face.

Yang was sprinting towards the line of bodies on the wall. Ducking between the Grimm without slowing her stride. She could hear the explosions going off behind her as Weiss distracted the giant. Reaching the body, Yang tore the detonator from the old leather belt. Holding down the button, she saw one of the lights atop the device flash red. Yang gave a sigh of relief, seeing the detonator still worked. Running through the mob of Grimm, Yang fought her way back towards Weiss.

"Got the detonator. What now?" Yang killed a spider that was leaping through the air at Weiss.

Weiss turned to the tunnel they used to enter the cave. "We get out of here and trigger the detonator."

Wasting no time, they made a break for the entrance. The giant taking a moment to notice its prey had left. The smaller Grimm gave chase as Weiss' knights formed an escort circle around the pair. Nothing seemed to slow the group as they pierced through the swarm of Grimm. The giant spider took notice after its smaller companions began to screech in fury. The cave shook as the giant spider pursued the group. Its stride making each step worth dozens of theirs. Yang could see the entrance in the distance with four knights positioned around it.

The four knights drew their pistols and opened fire on the approaching Grimm. Wiess and Yang dashed into the tunnel with the other summons guarding their rear. A loud crunching noise could be heard behind them as the tunnel shook. The large Grimm was trying to dig its way to the group, while the smaller Grimm pursued through the tunnel.

Coming out on the other side of the tunnel, Weiss projected a glyph over the entrance. The knights pressed their hands to the projection to offer their own strength to the barrier. "Use the detonator."

Yang took Weiss' advice and held down the button to prime the charges. Taking a gulp in worry, Yang pulled the trigger. The entire cave complex shook from the shock wave. Yang could barely maintain her balance while the ground shook. Weiss could feel the wave of pressure slam up against her glyph. The impact shaking her soul as it took the brunt of the blast. Five of the eight knights immediately dissipated as the shockwave hit the glyph they were supporting. She fell to her knees, but kept the barrier up as the tunnel collapsed in front of her. The other summons vanished along with the glyph Weiss was projecting.

"I can't believe we survived that," Yang said, trying to catch her breath between each word.

"That makes two of us," Weiss replied weakly. "I don't think I have enough aura to take us back up top."

"Let's find a place down here to rest up then. Not the biggest fan, but neither of us can make that climb right now." Yang offered Weiss a hand. The heiress grabbed Yang's hand and was lifted up onto her feet.

"The room we crash in needs to have a door we can close," Weiss said while leaning on Yang's shoulder.

"Will do, Weiss."

The pair began their slow walk through the now cleared shelter. Both passing room after room in search for a door of some kind. Any form of protection was preferred over sleeping out in the open after dealing with subterranean spider Grimm. They managed to find a wooden wall and door built over a cave entrance. Both Huntresses drew their weapon as the door was opened. Weiss dropped her weapon in surprise. Cans, jars, and packets of rations lined up on the shelves. UV lights that sat above rows of soil and seeds stored in glass jars. A water pump was in the corner of the room with rotted barrels sat beside it. They managed to strike gold in the middle of a wasteland. Weiss collapsed onto the ground in joy as tears fell from her eyes. Yang couldn't help but smile at the sight and catch some of Weiss' enthusiasm. The night would be spent in comfort, knowing that the beginnings of something greater had taken root.

* * *

 **Well, that was fun. Haven't gotten a chance to write write about a colossus esque enemy in ages. People climbing all over it while trying to chip away at it and find any vulnerabilities. I can say definitively that we've wrapped up this part of Weiss and Yang's journey. At this point, any attept to write about an underground partially destroyed shelter turns into a Vault. Time to move on to the next and see how they are fairing in the world.  
**


End file.
